Pay TV subs in Africa to increase by 12m

The number of pay TV subscribers in Africa will increase by 12 million between 2023 and 2029, according to UK analysis firm Digital TV Research.

The 12 million subscribers will comprise 7 million pay satellite TV subscribers and 5 million pay digital terrestrial television (DTT) subscribers, taking the total to 55 million subscriptions by 2029 from 43 million at the end of 2023.

Pay satellite TV subscriptions will make up 33 million of the 2029 total, up from 26 million at end-2023, versus 21 million pay DTT subscriptions by 2029, up from 16 million.

Four countries will supply nearly half of the pay TV subscriber total by 2029 and eight countries will account for two-thirds of the total. Nigeria will top the list with 10.2 million subscribers, having overtaken South Africa in 2022, which will have 8.1 million subscribers in 2029.

Tanzania will be next with 5 million subscribers by 2029, followed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo with 3.4 million and Kenya with 3.1 million. Uganda will have 2.9 million subscribers by 2029, while Angola will have 2.4 million and Cote d’Ivoire will have 2.3 million. Other countries combined will have 18 million pay TV subscribers by 2029.

Simon Murray, principal analyst at Digital TV Research, said: “Despite a recent slowdown in new subscriptions, Africa still has plenty of pay TV potential. Between 2023 and 2029, 27 million TV households will be added, taking the total to 130 million.”